Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Idaho college's DNA work will aid Asian snow leopard

Idaho college's DNA work will aid Asian snow leopard

DNA work at the University of Idaho will help central Asia's snow leopard.

Lisette Waits, a wildlife professor, is using DNA analysis on hair and scat samples from the imperiled cats, the first time the technique has been applied to snow leopards, which typically show little genetic variation among population groups.

Waits worked with colleagues at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo and the National Institutes of Health to develop the new tool. She said DNA analysis will help scientists better estimate snow leopard numbers. Conservation scientists will be able to test field-collected specimens, such as feces and shed hairs, to identify individuals or determine sex.